Power of Persuasion
by LiveHardDieHonest
Summary: Composing herself and adorning her political smile, she pulled her shoulders back, fixed her eyes directly in front of her, and walked to the diner, trying to dry her sweating hands as she went. One-Shot


"Wear the blue one, please."

"What's wrong with the red one?"

"It's so…pushy. In your face. Not something you want to be tonight."

Emma's face hardened. She didn't want to be going in the first place; how she appeared was the least of her worries. But the way Rudy was trying, and failing, to subtly remove her red leather jacket from the ever dwindling list of options, forced Emma to concede. It was easier than having to explain herself.

"Fine, I'll wear the blue one," she sighed. "Would you like to pick my jeans and shoes too? Oh and maybe do my hair."

"Leave your sarcasm in the bathroom where you will find your jeans and shoes," Rudy countered, "But you're a big girl; you can do your own hair. Please don't be late. It's just rude."

Before Emma could protest, which so far had been fruitless, Rudy had shut the door trapping the overwhelmed blonde with her thoughts. Something that, in the past year, she had come to realize was never a good thing. Whoever had convinced her that this was a good idea should be shot, revived, and shot again. But it was too late to turn back now.

* * *

Her fingers ran across the shoulder pads of every suit she owned, having trouble deciding which one to wear. Her blatant disapproval of her preplanned night had been ignored by her son, who she knew was working closely with Ruby, the only positive link to the person with whom she would be spending the next few hours. It's not that she hated the woman; she simply was not her first choice for company, under any circumstance, not after what happened.

"Are you ready yet?" Her son's voice radiated hope and caught her off guard.

"Henry, what have I told you about sneaking up on people?"

"Not to do it," the boy said, his feet dangling from the bed. "But I wasn't sneaking. I have been here for a while, waiting for you."

"And how is stalking someone any better?"

"It's not stalking; it's making sure you're not late."

"Henry," she began as she helped him find his way out. "Thank you for your concern about my punctuality but I do not need your help. I will be out momentarily."

"Can I suggest you wear the…"

"No, you cannot. I have dressed myself for years without you. I can do it tonight. Now, go finish your homework and I will be out when I'm ready."

The door shutting filtered any last minute fashion advice her son had. She was Regina Mills; she was fully capable of dressing herself, especially for someone as insufferable as the town Sherriff.

* * *

"Remember, Emma, be civil. No need for celebratory fireworks right off the bat. Just be you," Ruby coached as she led Emma to a table in the middle Granny's, pulling out a chair and pushing Emma into it.

"If I am being _me_ I would take those fireworks and shove them up her…"

"Emma! No!" she screeched. Apparently she meant the other Emma Swan floating around Storybroke. "The actual meaning of civil, not yours."

Emma tilted her head back, pleading with Ruby, hoping she would let her off the hook; allow her to not subject herself to the ridicule she knew was walking toward her down Main Street in three inch heels.

"Just one night. Please. For the sake of town sanity?"

"The idea that this will somehow help the town is inherently _insane_, you know that, right?"

Ruby simply smiled, knowing full well just how extreme it was. But, as discussed at the town meeting, whose time and location conveniently was kept from the mayor and only law enforcement official, maybe it was time for a little crazy since leaving the two women to their own devices was no longer a viable option.

"Yes, I do," she beamed. Looking at her watch, Ruby backed away from the table, demonstrated how to form a proper smile, gave thumbs up and was gone. Emma waited for a moment before assuring herself that she was alone. In a diner. Waiting for Regina Mills. Again.

"This is ridiculous," she said to no one, hoping everyone would hear.

* * *

"It's not ridiculous, Mom," Henry pleaded. "It'll be great! Emma's a good person. You'll like her if you give her a chance!"

Her son's optimism for how the night would play out was the driving force behind Regina attending. That and the never-ending competition she had with the sheriff to prove who could be more cordial to the other without actually ever being nice. And, after everything she and this woman had done to each other, this was one fight she would not lose. Not again.

When they reached the corner of the street, Henry caught sight of Ruby walking toward them. Silently exchanging victory smiles, Ruby quickly turned her attention to the woman who, if Ruby read people as well as she thought she did, looked a bit on edge.

"Mayor Mills, you look very nice," she gushed. Secretly she hoped to butter her up before Emma would, no doubt, ruin an otherwise well planned evening with her non-existent mental filter. "I hope you enjoy your evening. I promise to have Henry in bed within the hour."

"Thank you, Ruby. I trust I am not late."

"Right on time, actually."

"Perfect," she smirked. Regina was never one to arrive first. She waited on no one.

Watching Ruby and her son walk down the street like teenage school girls discussing some cute boy, Regina allowed herself to breathe for the first time since she woke up that morning. When she agreed to this, it was more to deal with Henry's incessant talking. She hadn't planned on following through with it. Regina was not one to be trifled with and experience told her this meeting would do more damage to an already fractured relationship, a fact everyone seemed to conveniently forget.

However, her pride forced her through the day. She was not going down with a fight, although she knew the endeavor was pointless. Composing herself and adorning her political smile, she pulled her shoulders back, fixed her eyes directly in front of her, and walked to the diner, trying to dry her sweating hands as she went.

* * *

The sound of the bell chiming above the door caused Emma to jolt up. She had tried several times to wake from the nightmare she convinced herself she was in, but it was to no avail as the Mayor gracefully entered and made her way to the table. It was incredible how even the way the woman walked got under Emma's skin.

Sitting down, Regina tweaked her perfect attire for no other reason than to gain an exasperated stare from the woman across the table. If she was going to be there, she was going to enjoy herself. Moments passed before both began to tire of the silence. Neither wanted to be the first to talk, mainly because neither wanted to be the one on whom the entire disaster of a night would be blamed. They both had people counting on them to make this work; their relationship, however they chose to define it, needed to be fixed, otherwise the town, its people, and their son would be cursed to live with their hatred forever.

However, the smaller, yet arguably more important, reason for their silence was that neither woman could formulate thoughts long enough to make them coherent sentences. They both knew that while Storybroke had its secrets, they had theirs. And theirs were much harder to explain.

"Miss. Swan," the Mayor began, wanting nothing more than to hide how truly uncomfortable she was. "I am sure you are as opposed to this little arrangement as I am and I think it best if we simply accept that there is little chance of the two of us ever being friends."

"Friends?" Emma questioned, stunned. "That's what you're worried about? Lady, I don't think 'friends' is what they're going for here."

"Oh," Regina responded smugly. "And what else could they be aiming for."

"I'm going to let you work on that for a moment," Emma spat, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes, annoyed that everyone assumed she was clueless and that the Mayor was acting like she was. Being 'friends' was an insult to their past and Emma was shocked at how much the term hurt to hear.

* * *

"How do you think it's going?" Henry had one foot under his comforter, which Ruby took as a great achievement; as much as she loved kids, this particular one was making a great case as to her never having any.

"I think the fact that Granny's hasn't burnt down yet says quite a bit, don't ya think?"

"I suppose so," the boy said thoughtfully, although he didn't want to them to survive the night; he wanted them to enjoy it, make changes because of it.

Pulling the covers up to Henry's chin, Ruby knew without hesitation that there would be no sleep for the curious little boy. His eyes told every story his imagination allowed him to create. All she could think, and hope for, was that at least one of his variations would come true, for his sake. And for the sake of his mothers. Everyone now knew that something was going on, although no one could pinpoint exactly what it was. It was anyone's guess and in a town the size of Storybroke, everyone had their own opinions. But one thing was for certain, the Mayor and the Sheriff had a working relationship that one day ceased to work. After that it was pure speculation.

* * *

"Madame Mayor, with all due respect…"

"Which from you is none whatsoever," Regina countered before Emma could finish thinking through her sentence. If this woman did not stop micromanaging every moment, Emma would have a reason to be behind bars, no frame job necessary. Regina simply narrowed her eyes, using all her strength to act as though she was indifferent to the situation, to the woman in front of her.

"Think what you want," she continued. "But whatever is going on between us needs to stop."

"I was unaware anything had started, Sheriff." The words knocked Emma backwards.

"Your denial aside," she countered, quite proud of herself for not missing a beat. Regina's eyes widened, giving Emma the power to push further. "Eventually you're going to have to deal with this."

"Sherriff Swan," Regina half-barked. "I am here for one reason, and only one reason: my son. He seems to think that you and I should reassess our relationship and create one that is more pleasing to his fantastical ideas that there is something worth discussing about an 'us' that never existed." Her eye brows furrowed and she leaned across the table, interfering with the other woman's personal space just to prove she still could. "Let me assure you, Miss. Swan, there was not, nor will there ever be, anything to discuss on that topic."

Emma stared at the Mayor for several moments before a sly smile came to her lips as she leaned toward the far too content woman in front of her. "I would never ask to be tortured, Madame."

The horrified face Regina now wore made Emma's heart soar with pride. Screw being civil; she'd tried that, and it failed miserably. Besides, Emma enjoyed the very few moments in which she knew she had momentarily won and the amount of joy she felt was a sensation she was sure should be illegal.

So many thoughts were flying around the Mayor's head. She was, for once, uncertain of how to proceed. Clearly she had underestimated her competition's ability to, one, leave her speechless and, two, read her like an open book. Or perhaps she had simply forgotten. Either way, Emma was the only person in Storybrooke who dared challenge her, and it was a quality she admired, no matter how obnoxiously it was done.

The air was so still that Emma could hear the _tick-tock_ of the wall clock making her almost regret her words. After seeing their affects, she knew she might have pushed too far. It's not like this was Regina's fault. It wasn't hers either. No blame could truly be placed, because every action was a mutual decision-from the first touch, to the first kiss, to the last mention of their existence.

"Very well, Miss. Swan. Have it your way." As Regina stood up, she pushed her chair in and made her way slowly to the door, leaving a stunned blonde, suddenly unaware of what was happening, staring after her like a lost puppy. How this woman managed to turn tables was something Emma was forced to admit she was jealous of. Not that it was a feeling she would ever express to anyone. Unfortunately for the sheriff, she screamed "Wait!" before she had to fully think her actions out and her words sounded pleading, an emotion she regretted instantly.

Regina paused with her hand on the door, basking in how easily she could manipulate a situation back in her favor. "For what, Miss. Swan?"

"What does that mean? 'Have it my way.' What way is that?" She stood and took a few steps toward the Mayor, careful to not get too close, but needing the woman to answer her, to make more sense.

"You're the sheriff, are you not?"

"Your point?"

"Solving mysteries should be easy for you. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Before the blonde could process anything around her, Regina opened the door, the bell ringing her exit, and walked into the night leaving Emma with her hands on her hips with nothing to do but stare in confusion with a hint of amazement.

* * *

As soon as the cold night air entered her lungs, Regina realized just how hot she'd become. Normally Granny's was a comfortable temperature, but tonight, with its only occupants being her and the sheriff, the mounds of regret and unanswered questions had laid over them like wool, suffocating them both in their own stubbornness.

In some ways she wished she had refused to come. It accomplished nothing. It took time away from her son. And it, in all honesty, proved that she, the fearless Mayor, had acted rashly and without forethought, something that would have never happened had that woman stayed away. But she hadn't and Regina was forced to deal with her and the effect she had on the town, the people in it, and on her mental stability.

"When you're done regretting walking out, let me know." Regina swirled around to see Emma leaning against the door looking both pleased with herself and impatient.

"Miss. Swan, I'm not sure what you were taught as a child, but.."

"You insult me about my childhood. I insult your character. You threaten to do something to me. I accept the challenge to do exactly the opposite of whatever it is you want. You get mad and publically attack me. I make up for it with what's probably sheer luck. We agree to be civil. And we wind up here, with you insulting me. Again"

Regina was taken aback that she had been interrupted mid sentence but she was bothered that the sheriff would speed through their usual cycle of verbal confrontations. That was her favorite part of the day and it had been corralled into on breath.

"I'm sure you have a point, Sheriff, but, sadly, I don't have all night to wait around while you reach it." The Mayor turned gracefully away from Granny's and was taking her first steps home when words reached her ears that stopped her from functioning.

"You miss me."

Emma was shocked how calm she sounded because there was a stamped of nerves running dents into her heart. She was a bold person, always had been, but this was different. Telling Regina Mills how she feels took an amount of courage that Emma was surprised anyone had.

Regina's instinct was to spin around with a death glare that would terrify the woman into submission, but first she had to hide the shock on her face, the fear of her rapid breathing, and the truth that reddened her eyes. To make matters worse, she knew that by hesitating, even for a moment, Emma would claim victory.

"I know because..."

"Sheriff Swan, this conversation is over as I have nothing left to say to you and you have nothing of consequence for me to hear."

"Regina Mills, do not walk away from me."

At the sound of her name, the Mayor whipped around forgetting that her appearance betrayed her. No one, not even her parents, rest their souls, spoke to her like that and it was not a trend she want anyone getting used to. Emma was still leaning against the door to Granny's gaining confidence as she spoke, now with proof that she was on the right track: Regina looked heartbroken, not that that was ever Emma's intent.

"Have you lost your mind," Regina almost whispered out of shock.

"Probably, but honestly what else is new," Emma shrugged. "So, like I said, when you're done regretting walking out, let me know."

"I didn't walk out on anyone, or do I need to remind you. Now if you don't mind, Miss. Swan, I'd like to go home and forget the painful fact that I have wasted an hour of my night on you."

"I do mind, actually. You don't get to forget me," Emma said, finally moving from the glass door and making her way to the stunned, motionless woman. "Whether or not you care to admit it, and quite frankly I don't give a rats ass if you do, something happened. Something is here, between us, and it's not hot air. Now since clearly the entire town is aware of it, there is really no use in pretending is there, Madame Mayor."

By the time the last words reached Regina's ears, Emma was standing two feet in front of her, locking her gaze, forcing the still silent woman to confront her. One way or another, Emma would have her answers tonight.

"You have to miss me," Emma pleaded. "I can't be the only one who's hurting over this. It's too…I just can't be…you have too much power over me to pretend I can resist you."

Regina wanted to believe her, more than anything, but given who she was and the things she had done, it was hard to trust people, especially those who gain from her weakness. Weakness; how she hated the word; how she hated that this woman made her feel that way. She was just a woman-a mildly insane, always obnoxious, incredibly annoying woman at that. Then Regina saw a motion, her eyes darting furiously until she saw Emma's hand slowly moving toward her. She followed it as the blonde hesitated just before she laid it gently on Regina's check, causing the woman to shutter. How such a tender touch could simultaneously steal her breath and give her life was a question Regina wanted to spend forever answering. And no shield she could raise around her heart would let her deny that fact.

"Stop fighting me, Regina. I'm begging you," Emma choked back. She was tired of hurting, tired of regretting, tired of wondering what happy was. She'd done alone. Alone sucked. Whether she was ready or not, whether Regina was willing to admit it or not, they were worth it.

"I'm going to need you to say something. Sometime before we get old, if you don't mind." Emma studied the face in front of her, searching for any indication of an answer, any clue as to where she stood in the woman's life. Eternity passed before she saw softness graze over Regina's dark eyes and when she smiled, Emma's heart leapt from her chest. Regina had many smiles but Emma knew this smile instantly: it was her favorite one. It was the one that she fell for. It was the one that made Regina glow, made her look like she was flying.

"Emma…" she whispered, but had no time to finish because the blonde's radiant smile landed tenderly on her lips, an act she was in no position to ignore. So she didn't. There was nothing rushed about this kiss. It was soft and stern. It lingered and it passed. It was every kiss Regina had ever had yet she had nothing to compare it to, even the ones they previously shared.

When Emma pulled away, Regina almost pulled her back in, but she wasn't sure she could handle another. As powerful as she was, there was no guarantee she was strong enough for the prolonged nearness of this woman, this Emma Swan.

Tomorrow they could worry about Henry, Ruby, and the rest of Storybrooke, who would no doubt be watching they every move, analyzing every look, every conversation. But at that moment, Regina cared nothing for her reputation or having to explain herself. She cared only for the knowledge that she would wake up in the morning surrounded by this beautiful woman.

Her Emma.

* * *

Author's Note: I uploaded this as a birthday present to my best friend. She's a die-hard, must-be-canon-cause-I-want-it-so-bad Swan Queen shipper and all she wanted for her birthday was for me to write a short story about her ship and post it. Well I can't really say no to the girl on her birthday, so here you go pretty lady, hope it's what you wanted. Also if there are any errors, blame it on the 2:18 that's reading on my clock right now. I had to get this out before she woke up. So forgive me.

Subnote: Hopefully I got their personalities sort of right, I had to do a lot of research on this show to write this. And research in this case means roughly twenty hours of catching up on the entire first season. Honestly it would have been easier and quicker to buy you a glitter pony, woman. Not gonna lie though, it's a great show. Hope I did it justice.


End file.
